The Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) said in a statement yesterday that social media reports regarding local casinos’ purported schemes to defraud gamblers with “black boxes”* are entirely unfounded rumours.
The statement also said that recently, several unverified messages have emerged online concerning “betting refunds after being cheated”, in which individuals claiming to be victims urged others to contact specific third parties for assistance. As these messages, the statement said, may be linked to fraudulent schemes, the public is strongly advised against believing or sharing unconfirmed information and is urged to remain vigilant to avoid being deceived.
The statement underlined that all gaming equipment currently operating in local casinos is subject to the government’s stringent regulation and supervision and must strictly comply with the relevant laws and regulations, technical standards, and security requirements.
The statement said that every piece of electronic gaming equipment must be tested by independent, DICJ-accredited entities and can only be operated after thorough review and formal authorisation. Furthermore, DICJ officials conduct routine and unannounced inspections on gaming premises to verify on-site software versions, seal integrity, and random number generator (RNG) mechanisms, ensuring continuous regulatory compliance. No anomalies or instances of non-compliance have been detected in any equipment in local casinos recently, the statement underlined.
Concerning claims spread online by individuals who asserted they were “cheated by the black box but successfully recovered their stakes through unofficial channels”, the statement underlined that such remarks possess absolutely no factual basis. This type of misinformation, the statement said, is highly likely a tactic used to perpetrate fraud. Consequently, members of the public must enhance their vigilance and disregard such claims.
The statement underlined that all gaming-related disputes must be reported through official channels. To support this, DICJ inspectors are stationed across all local casinos to monitor operations in real time.
The statement said that anyone who suspects they have fallen victim to a scam should immediately cease the transaction and file a report with the Judiciary Police.
The DICJ will not tolerate the malicious dissemination of false information that damages Macau’s reputation and will take appropriate legal action against offenders, the statement said.
* The recent online rumours originating from social media videos claim that all six of Macau’s gaming concessionaires use rigged electronic card shoes, referred to as “black boxes”, to defraud gamblers. The rumours allege that these cheating devices allow the casinos to manipulate gaming outcomes and cards directly via a mobile application. Furthermore, follow-up messages circulating alongside these claims suggest that victims who were cheated can successfully secure refunds for their betting losses through unofficial channels. These fraudulent posts actively urge people to contact specific individuals under the guise of recovering their lost stakes. Ultimately, the gaming regulator has clarified that these specific “black box” claims are entirely baseless and are likely being used as a deceptive tactic to perpetrate phishing or financial scams – Gemini
This undated handout photo provided by the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) to public broadcaster TDM earlier this month shows a DICJ inspector examining an electronic card shoe at a local casino.
